How to Build a Journal Entry

Keeping a journal is wise no matter what you use it for.

Keeping a journal can be a cathartic experience. A journal may also be creatively stimulating and it can even help you better understand a piece of literature. Journals are kept to benefit the writer in a myriad of ways. Learning the proper ways to build a journal entry specific to your needs is the only requirement to reaping the rewards.  

Instructions

Personal Journal

1. Mark the date of the entry and, optionally, your location at the top of the page. 

2. Jot down your daily events using the first-person (I, me, etc.). Your daily events don't have to be life changing to create a journal entry, just descriptions of your day. 

3. Add emotions to your journal entries. Describe how you were feeling at a particular moment during your day as described within the context of the entry. 

Creative Journal

1. Write down the first thing that comes to your mind. 

2. Continue to write "stream of consciousness" style (non-stop) for a set time. 

3. Avoid fixing errors in grammar or style and concentrate on solely placing words on the paper. 

4. Write "Don't know" repeatedly until another thought takes over if you lose your focus. 

5. Edit your entries after finishing them if you like.

Literature Journal

1. Write your name followed by the class, instructor and date. 

2. Copy a direct quote word for word from a publication to your journal. Credit the author and the page number of the quote. 

3. Start a new paragraph and write why you found the quote interesting. Describe what you think might happen next according to the evidence in the quote; give the quote context by writing about what is presently happening in the story. 

References

• Bergen: How To Write A Journal Entry

Resources

• The Artist's Way: The Basic Tools